Hello to All!

Welcome back to the Featured Author of the Week interview series. It’s been far too long since I had an author interview to share with you.

Folks, people can’t know about you if you don’t tell them. But I digress.

Today, I’m pleased and privileged to introduce to you, author Kaye Lynne Booth, M.F.A.

*Blogger Note*

If for some reason, the email address shown in this posting doesn’t work, make sure to use Kaye’s website information to get in touch with her. She’s got a couple of promotional opportunities of her own to share, so be sure to watch for them in the interview.

And now, here’s today’s Featured Author of the Week.

Kaye Lynne Booth MFA

First, in your own words, tell us a little about you.

I’m an author, editor and publisher, with a duel emphasis M.F.A. in Creative Writing. I have three books of my own out: Delilah, a western novel; Hidden Secrets, a paranormal mystery novella; and a collection of shorts, Last Call and Other Short Fiction. I also have stories in Zombie Pirates Publishing’s Collapsar Directive (science fiction) and Relationship Add Vice (crime romance) anthologies; Dan Alatorre’s Nightmareland horror anthology; and the WordCrafter paranormal anthologies, Whispers of the Past and Spirits of the West. I’m a contributing author, as well as the editor and compiler for Ask the Authors, an author’s reference which emerged from 24 weeks of Q & A with 17 authors for a blog series of the same name, which I ran on Writing to be Read in 2018.

Amazon Author Page

I’m also the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services, WordCrafter Press, and the Writing to be Read authors’ blog. My goal is to help my fellow authors along the paths of their own writing journeys. Writing to be Read provides honest book reviews, author interviews and other content of interest to writers and authors. WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services offers editing and book promotion services, and I am preparing to offer WordCrafter Book Blog Tours next year.

In addition to publishing the work of myself and others, WordCrafter Press hosts social media book and writing events, like the 2020 WordCrafter Stay in Place Virtual Writing Conference, where we had 22 versed authors offering, live stream lectures, and interactive workshops and panel discussions. WordCrafter Press also holds an annual short fiction contest and publishes an annual anthology, and we are open for submissions now through April 30, 2021. All submissions are eligible for inclusion in the resulting anthology, and the winning story author receives guaranteed publication and a $25 Amazon gift card. You can find the full submission guidelines here: https://writingtoberead.com/2020/12/07/announcing-the-2021-wordcrafter-paranormal-short-fiction-contest/

Where do you live?

I live in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, where I hike and backpack, fish, ride ATVs, and go four-wheeling in my Jeep. I love to write in the natural settings of the Colorado wilderness. It is very inspiring to me. My short paranormal story in the Whispers of the Past anthology, “The Woman in the Water”, was inspired by a day visit to a reservoir near my home, and the protagonist in my western novel, Delilah, travels on foot or horseback over many of the four-wheel-drive trails that I’ve traversed, by Jeep or ATV. I have a series of children’s books that are shelved until I can find an illustrator for them, which are inspired by the birds and forest animals that visit my backyard.

Who are the special people in your life?

Of course, my family are special to me, but for this question those who have been there along the way, and encouraged and helped me in my writing endeavors are who come to mind. There are many who have offered words of encouragement, both friends and family. Special friends include my oldest and dearest best friend Cheryl Brown, who has always been there when I needed her for support and encouragement, and has even helped to make some needed connections, which have propelled my writing forward; my friend Linda Austin, who made me believe I should continue on when I had all but given up; and my husband, who helped me learn to believe in myself in the first place and helped me to find my way.

I also have some very special team members on the Writing to be Read blogger team. My former M.F.A. cohort and talented author, Jeff Bowles offers words of writing and life wisdom in two monthly blog series, “Words to Live By” and “Craft and Practice”, and shares his thoughts on recent viewing selections on “Jeff’s Movie Reviews”. Robbie Cheadle is a South African author, who shares ideas for encouraging reading and literacy in children in her monthly blog series, “Growing Bookworms”, as well as introducing a new author and poet each month with an interview and book review on “Treasuring Poetry”. Also, my fellow author and friend, Arthur Rosch offers his own unique perspective on the world with his bi-monthly series, “Mind Fields”. Writing to be Read would not be the successful authors’ blog that it is today without these very special people. I’m not a prolific writer and their knowledge and expertise add variety and diversity to the content featured there.

Do you have any pets?

I lost both of the blue heelers, which had both been in the family for over thirteen years, within a month and a half of each other in 2019, so I don’t have any pets currently. But I love animals and I feed the wild cat which lives in the area, and have frequent deer passing through my property, and a plethora of birds which visit seasonally, as I’ve turned my garden into a bird sanctuary.

What keeps you going? I mean, like what inspires you and keeps you moving forward in your work?

For me, writing is a passion and it helps me maintain my sanity. I have no choice but to keep going.

What is your favorite song?

There are so many, it is impossible to choose only one. Currently, my favorite band is The Pretty Reckless, and I’m actually working on a time-travel adventure in which my lead female character is based on their music. Classic rock is my preference, but I’m eclectic in my music tastes and I listen to many different music genres, including punk, grunge, metal, and even country western.

What is your favorite movie?

Again, there are so many. I’ve seen The Outlaw Josey Wales more times than I can count. I can even recite much of the dialog from memory. Others that I can watch again and again include Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights, The Three Amigos, The Quick and the Dead, Ghost, and my favorite chick-flick, Dirty Dancing.

What is your favorite book?

Favorites again. What can I say? My favorite authors are Stephen King and Anne Rice, but I enjoy the work of many authors, some whom I’ve had contact with over the years, mostly over the internet, although I’ve actually met some, too. I’ve come to admire the writing of Kevin J. Anderson, Dan Alatorre, Loretta Miles Tollefson, Amy Cecil, Jordan Elizabeth, Cynthia Vespia, Jeff Bowles and Arthur Rosch, Roberta Eaton Cheadle… just to name a few. Some of these authors are national and international bestselling, or at least well-known authors, but I’m not surprised if there aren’t several listed that you’ve not heard of. Likewise, I have no doubt that you may hear more about them in days to come, because they all are creative and talented authors who can craft a story well.

I will say that I’m a bit old fashioned, in that I strongly prefer print books over digital ones. There’s just something about holding a book in your hands and actually turning pages, feeling the crisp paper between your fingers that just stirs feelings in ways that e-books just can’t. I do like the convenience of audio books, but a poor narrator can ruin a good story, so I am leery of them.

What is your favorite food?

Can’t I just say that I love food in general? I’m partial to Mexican food and like most Latino dishes, (I love good guacamole), but I also enjoy many Oriental dishes, my favorites being Cashew Chicken, Sweet and Spicy Soup, and Crab Cheese Wontons. My favorite Italian dish is meat manicotti, but I can always go with a fully loaded pizza. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good, old fashioned cheese burger either, add a few mushrooms and onions, and you’ve got me for sure. I’m not fond of Sushi, but one of my favorite desserts is green tea ice cream. Oh, and I love seafood. Last year I had the opportunity to try Calamari and found it very good, but I think I prefer fried clams, shrimp, or scallops.

What is your favorite quote?

“It’s not how you survive the storm, but how you dance in the rain.” Author Unknown

What is your favorite affirmation?

My motto is “Endeavor to persevere”. They are the words of Chief Dan George’s character in The Outlaw Josey Wales, but they ring so true. Nothing good is ever free or easy. To get what you want out of life, you have to keep at it, and do what it takes to get the job done.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

One of my biggest pet peeves is picking up a short fiction anthology and finding stories that are incomplete. To be a story, there must be a beginning, middle and end, with some type of climax along the way. These are basic story elements which must be present on a story, even in a short piece of flash fiction. Without all of these elements, a tale doesn’t feel like a story. It feels incomplete.

This bothers me so much, that I actually wrote it into the submission guidelines for the 2021 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest. The art of flash fiction is being able to incorporate all of these basic elements in a minimal amount of words. Well-crafted flash is delightful to read, and I am happy to accept flash submissions, as well as short fiction, but the stories WordCrafter is looking for must be complete stories.

What do you think your best strengths are, and how do they help you in your work as a writer?

I think my biggest strengths are my writing abilities and my attention to detail. I’ve often joked that I can write, but I can’t talk. When I respond to something in writing, I can take the time to rearrange things and put the words on the page the way I want them, but when someone asks me a question, I can’t think of the right words and often get tongue-tied.

Also, my determination to see things through. I am nothing, if not persistent. My dreams are not small ones. I dream big and then go after it. These traits have gotten me this far, because I get a story or book idea or an idea for a project or event, and I run with it. I’ve run into insurmountable obstacles from time to time, and had to abandon ship, but more often than not, I push my way through or find a way around those obstacles to achieve my goals.

What are your weaknesses, and how are you making them stronger?

My weaknesses are in the non-writing parts of writing. After I earned my M.F.A. and had my first book published, I discovered that the books don’t sell themselves and I was lacking in marketing skills, so I went back to school and worked my way toward a B.S. in Marketing, I continued with that until the information obtained exceeded anything that I will ever use in book marketing and wasn’t really relevant for me. Now, I’m setting my sites on an M.A. in publishing, although I’ve already published three anthologies, two books of my own and a devotional book through WordCrafter Press, which is my publishing imprint.

What is your dream for the future, and how does it relate to your work as a writer?

My dream for the future wouldn’t be without my work as a writer. I see a future where WordCrafter Press and WordCrafter Author Services are names well-known in the online writing communities and writers and aspiring authors attend online events and utilize our services. I’ve done a lot of author interviews in my time, first as the Southern Colorado Literature Examiner, and then on Writing to be Read, so I know a lot of authors. It could happen.

What is your preferred way of communicating, and how can someone reach you if they wish to buy from or work with you in some way?

Email works best: kayebooth@yahoo.com

You can find my contact information on both my website and my authors’ blog.

WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services: https://kayebooth.wixsite.com/wordcrafter

Writing to be Read:
https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/

You can also reach out via social media. Facebook messenger also works well. I have two main Facebook pages:

Kaye Lynne Booth – Author & Screenwriter: https://www.facebook.com/kayelynnebooth.screenwriter

WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services: https://www.facebook.com/WordCrafterServices

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Just as my writing falls into many different genres, so my reading habits are multi-genre. I love to meet new authors, so if anyone out there needs a book review, would like an author interview, would like to schedule a book blog tour, or is in need of quality editing or publishing services, I’d love to hear from them. Also, I am still accepting bloggers to host tours with book reviews, author interviews or guest posts. I can be contacted through any of the avenues of communication mentioned above.

As a last reminder, the 2021 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest theme is a paranormal one and the deadline for submissions is April 30, 2021. Visit Writing to be Read via the link provided to see full submission guidelines. I want to read your stories.

Thank you for having me here today.